taskbar past items

if you go to control panel, taskbar and startmenu settings, select taskbar and click customize, you will see lists of current items and past items. under past items you may have a good number of entries that are no longer applicable which are left over from uninstalled programs. i thought these items would stay there forever as ther was no way to delete them. i found a way. go to microsoft.com, under support, select knowledge base. in the search box select windows xp and enter keywords ... taskbar past items. in the results click on how to clear past items from the notification list. write down the instructions given. i tried it with a little trepidation but it works. a byproduct of the process may be that your desktop icons may be rearranged(autoarranged), but its no problem to put them back where you want them.